Tissue Paper Flowers

My childhood home was a 1930's Californian bungalow in the heart of suburban Perth. I loved that house. I loved the bay window and the marigolds my Mum used to painstakingly plant in front of it every year. I loved the verandah, the lead light windows and doors, the high ceilings and the wooden window sills. But I especially liked the front garden, with its fifty year old camellia trees, heritage rose garden, huge blue hydrangea (which I used to call the cabbage bush), and array of azaleas. As a child, this garden was my supermarket. I used to collect dropped flowers to make colourful 'salads', which I served with soil steaks. I cooked these steaks in an old, battered frypan my Dad had found, and on a little white wooden stove made by Dad. My kitchen was the side of the house. It was a dark, narrow, damp space with a little path going from the front to the back of the house. I would spend hours down 'the side' cooking up a storm. It was my space.

Over the past few weeks, I have been transported back to that garden by making tissue paper flowers. These large flowers remind me of hydrangeas because they are so cabbage-like.

To make the large flowers, you need tissue paper, floral wire stems (one 18 gauge wire for the main stem, and two 22 gauge wires for the leaves), floral tape, craft glue, narrow binding tape (ironed flat),and opaque Japanese paper tape. I am using two types of tissue paper to create a variegated flower.

First cut six 8 inch by 12 inch sheets of tissue paper.  I am using inches as my cutting mat is in inches and it is just easier that way.

You fold the tissue paper up concertina style, in folds of one inch.

Cut the edges into a round shape as this makes the petals nice and round.

Bend the 18 gauge floral wire around the folded paper and twist to secure. How far you bend will obviously determine the length of the stem.

Carefully unfold each layer of paper.  I say carefully as tissue paper rips easily so you need to be light of touch.

Make the leaves by cutting a leaf shape.  Glue the 22 gauge wire along the length of the leaf and place the other leaf on top.  Repeat.

Place the leaves into position on the main stem and twist the wire along the entire length.

Cover the stem with floral tape.

As I am paranoid about sharp edges, I also cover the stem in binding tape, paying particular attention to the bottom where I fold over a little pocket. I usually use a narrow, black binding tape but, as I had run out, I've used a thick white binding tape which works just as well.  Glue the binding tape to the top of the stem, wind around, and then glue to bottom. You only need to glue the top and bottom as the sticky floral tape keeps the rest of the tape in place.

I then cover the stem with Japanese paper tape to complete the 'paper' look of the flower.

Once you know how to make these flowers, you can use them in so many ways.  I made this posy of small flowers for a friend using tissue paper from an old dress pattern.

You can also make stemless flowers to decorate gifts.  Just fix the centre of the flower with some twine.  For this gift, I made a large and small flower, again using tissue paper from an old dress pattern, to create a cake-like effect.

I always get a little nostalgic when I make things, which is why I like doing it so much.

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